Art of mural decoration



Patented May 3, 1927. p

. UNITEDISTATES PATENT 1,627,214 OFFICE.

nonnnr M. surrnnmor NEWARK, NEW'JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN FRANCIS- BOORAEM, or GREENWICECONNECTICUT. y f

ART OF. MURAL DECORATION.

= No Drawing.

Thisinvention relates to the art of mural decoration, and has for its primaryobject to provide a novel method for producing upon plaster walls a desired p cture ,or scene and by means of which the proper blending of various different color mediums to obtain desired light and shade effects may be secured. My improved method also enables I0 the like to be very realistically produced.

Essentially, the method of mural decoration as it has been applied by me consists in superimposing upon the surface of the plaster wall a plurality of color mediumssuchas water color paint, oil and metallic paint, pastel, crayon, india ink,- lead and various other color mediums which may be necessary to produce the desired" effect in the completed picture. There is thus produced a laminated surface on the-plaster wall, and I then by means of a suitable abrading tool, erase different parts ofthe superimposed color laminations on different portions of the wall to bring out and render visible the desired colors and thus obtain color effects which would not be possible by theapplication of the color mediums by rneans of a brush. a a a Heretofore, in the art of mural decoration, it has been impossible to combine such color mediumsas above referred to for the purpose of producing a compositeharmoni ous picture uponthe surface of a plaster wall, owing to the fact that such color-me- 1 diums will not blend with each other and also by reason of the peculiar action of the plaster on several of these materials. I have.

found however, that it is'possible to produce such mural decorations bysuperimpos- '0 ing the several color mediu1ns and interpos ing between the adjacent color mediums a third medium which acts asa spacer and a binder between the superimposed mediums.

I have found it advisable to first apply to the surface of the plaster wall a coatof oil paint. After this coat has thoroughly dried, a coating of crayon is applied thereon and thoroughly rubbed in. Over this coat of crayon I then apply a coat of water color paint. After this latter coat has dried, a second coat of crayon is applied and then a coat of water color paint of a different color from that previously applied is superimposed upon this second crayon coat. In the same manner, any desired number of lamiproduce a fine hazy effect.

' Application filed November 2, 1926. Serial no. 145,918.. a T

nations of different color mediums may be superimposed upon the wall surface, each of said mediums being of a' different color from that upon which it is applied.

In cases where it is' desired to use india ink upon theplaster surface, I find it advisable to first apply a coating upon the surface of the plaster, and for this purpose Ipreferthe representation of mist, fog, smoke and ably use a flat wash solution whichI find to be quite closely related to the chemical peculiarities of the inkan'd to possessv the virtue'of'binding and holding thefink upon the plaster without chemically modifying the ink or changing the color thereof.

After the superimposed color laminations have been applied to the wall surface, by means of a suitable scraping or abrading tool, I work backthrough the outermost lamination to the surface of the plaster wall removing. various. parts of .the successive laminations to render the different colors I visible atvarious areas of the wall in accordance with a preconceived design or scene which it is desired to produce. In this man her, I have been enabled to realistically depict upon a plaster wall such scenes as snow storms, sunsets, mists, fogs and various other scenes which would not otherwise be obtainable. Thus, upon reaching the original plaster base, a fine dust is created by the abrading action which willspread over the surrounding area in such a manner as to In order to se cure this dust in place, I use a transparent fixative solution which'is applied at such places. I have also. found it possible to so apply tnese various mediums insuch quantities as to get a relief effect. 'Thus a coat of oil or water color may first be applied and r then a relatively thick coat of a transparent m gelatinous material superimposed thereon and permitted to harden. Over this material, a coating of'Japanese water color is ap plied. I can thus produce the effect of two water colors actuallyspaced apart but without mixing. It is also possible to use pen and ink on the plaster surface, if, this; surfaceis first treated to'provide a hard nonabsorbent foundation for the ink. For this purpose oil or water color may be used. However, I have found that the plaster itself if the surfaceis sufficiently glazed and snlipoth, may be worked upon with pen and in By the above method I am enabled to produce a complete composite picture and to add various coloring 'media at different points without the necessity of blending of s ch adde @610 ed a w th the :sn ii e color, by merely cutting back- ;thropgh the superimposed laminations to a medium havprotect the coloring media at the various exposed parts thereof Various colored dusts may be obtaln'ed by the application of pastel, crayon or water color and oils to the bare plaster and then abrading the same after thoroughly working in the color medium. The tinted dust which is thus produced is very effective in the representation of misty mountain effects, fogs, water spray and sea scenes.

Of course it is apparent that a certain amount of artistic ability and judgment necessary in the practiceof my new method of mural decoration. Its important ,advan tage however, over the prior art practices, as by the use of stencils oi the application of paint with a brush by the artist, resides in the fact that it is possible to greatly enhance the artistic chest of the decoration as a whole and to represent scenes and 'condi-- tions which it is quite imoossiible to obtain by the usual methods of mural decoration.

I have above described the preferable procedure which I have actually used and found to produce .Very satisfactory results. Nevertheless, the detail steps of this method might be departed from in certain particulars, without materially effecting the ultimate result, and it is therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited tothe precise and exact procedure for the application of the dliiierent selected color mediums, as above explained, and that I reserve the priyilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly considered within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I .claimi 1. The method oftlecoratio rwhich consists in superimposing a plurality of difierent .color mediums upon a plaster base and producing a, preconceived artistic efiect by selectively removing difier ent parts of the superimposed mediums to render the underlying color mediums visible, and then apply-mg'appropriate color media to the exposed po'rtionsof said superimposed mediiums to modify the colors of the latter.

2. The method of decoration which consists in superimposing a plurality of (litterout color mediums upon a plaster base and I producing preconceived artistic effect by selectively removing different parts of the superimposed mediums to render the underlying colon-mediums visible, and then applying appropriate color media to the e.\'-

plying other color media to the exposed parts or said superimposed coats of co'lorr'nedium and to the exposed plaster surfaceto modify the colorsthereof, and finally applying a tra i'sp'a rent fixative material.

4. The method of mural decoration, which consists in applying successive coats, of selected colorn ie'dium-s over the entire surface of a plaster Wall, permitting each coat to dry and interposin-g an unlikecolor medium constituting a; binder between adjacent coats of the first color mediums, tlhen subjecting the applied coats of the various color me din-ms at different portions of the wall surface to an abrasive actionto expose any one of the imderlying color mediums or the wall surface in accordance witha precon ceived artistic design, then applying other color media to the exoosed portions of said superimposed coats 0 color medium or the wall surface Where required to modify the colors thereof, and finally applying a transparent fixative material upon the developed decoration.

In testimony thatl claim the foregoing as my invention, l have signed my name hereto. 7

ROBERT 'M. screens. 

